A parenting plan is a legal document created for the benefit of a child or children. A parenting plan is created by the parties and either agreed upon or imposed by the court. Some of the things included in a payment plan are visitation schedules, custody arrangements, and decision-making power regarding medical, educational, and religious choices. Call or text us today at (573) 995-4077 to discuss how a parenting plan can help with your custody arrangement.
What are the benefits of a parenting plan?
Custody disputes or divorces are often times of great uncertainty. Changes in custody not only affect the children, but also the parents as they now spend less time with the child, or perhaps more, depending on the circumstances. Having a set schedule of when the children are supposed to be with a given parent can provide a lot of clarity and ease some anxiety.
A. Certainty
As mentioned above, a well-drafted parenting plan will include definite schedules for parenting time with clear guidelines and expectations for each party. This not only provides you with an understanding of how visitation is supposed to be handled, it enables your children to have a concrete understanding of where they will stay, and with whom, on any given day.
Moreover, certainty does not just include visitation. Parenting plans address many facets of life, such as health insurance, taxes, transportation, and holidays.
B. Custody
In addition to parenting time, which is under the umbrella of physical custody, parenting plans legal custody. Legal custody is comprised of the decision-making rights regarding the health, education, and welfare of the children. The three types of decisions that parents must make concerning their children are major decisions, daily or everyday decisions, and emergency decisions.
Major decisions are significant decisions about the children. Examples of major decisions include the choice of school, physician, and religion.
Day-to-day decisions include things like routine everyday decisions regarding minor medical treatment, bedtimes, homework, and chores.
Emergency decisions are self-explanatory and mostly include emergency medical treatment.
C. Consequence
In addition to rights afforded to parents under a parenting plan, parenting plans will often include consequences for not complying with a parenting plan. This is typically addressed with regard to relocation. Parents subject to a parenting plan are required by Missouri law to notify the other party prior to your relocation. Failure to do so can result in a court of competent jurisdiction holding you in contempt of court.
In conclusion, a parenting plan can be a great tool for parents facing a divorce or separation as it helps each parent understand their obligations and rights with regard to the child.
Call Loraine Law Center, LLC today to discuss your child custody case.
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